Grow Into You Foundation exists to support survivors of childhood trauma by offering positive childhood experiences, trauma sensitive support systems, personal growth education, and community connection opportunities. These services will cultivate healthy and safe life choices and increase healing and build resilience among the neglected, abused, and abandoned of Tampa Bay and beyond.
The Foster Care system is in crisis. There are not enough foster homes to care for all the children displaced from their families. Teens in the system end up in group homes. When they age out at 18 years old, they have very little support. These teens frequently end up on the streets, facing homelessness, human trafficking, hunger, drugs, and jail. Grow Into You Foundation offers mentoring and coaching to teens as they age out of foster care. This gives them a fighting chance to pursue education, employment, and shelter. More than that, it allows these foster teens to discover their value and worth in the world.
Who We Support
· Teens In Foster Care
· Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
· GIYF Alumni
· At-Risk Youth
· Young Adults in Crisis
· Inmates
· Adopted Teens
Our Mission
Grow Into You Foundation exists to support survivors of childhood trauma by offering positive childhood experiences, trauma sensitive support systems, personal growth education, and community connection opportunities. These services will cultivate healthy and safe life choices and increase healing and build resilience among the neglected, abused, and abandoned of Tampa Bay and beyond.
We believe that if we think outside the box and meet teens where they are at with a new, fresh and transformational mindset, teens will respond in new, fresh and transformational ways. We go above and beyond with each teen we encounter. We believe in replacing old, unwanted habits with new, healthy ones and disrupting the status quo with exciting potential!
Our key initiatives make it possible for our participants to have well rounded opportunities for growth and development. All initiatives are voluntary, so our participants empower themselves to choose into these opportunities because they find value in them. All initiatives are participant agenda driven as long as their agendas are healthy and safe. All initiatives are free of judgment and trauma sensitive so that our participants feel belonging, space to be vulnerable and open to exploring new and different ways of “showing up” to the world around them. Our initiatives also give participants a space to discuss their successes and failures so they can learn and grow from both experiences.
Coaching takes place either in a one-on-one setting or in a group setting, depending on the needs and desires of each individual. Coaching allows teens to empower themselves to make healthy, conscious choices about their lives and their futures!
Sometimes we, as an organization, need to stand in the gap to meet the needs of our teens. Many times, these are fundamental, basic need like clothing or shelter. Other times they are needs that must be met to move forward like getting an I.D. or registering for classes. But we don’t stop there, we also use our coaching and mentoring approach to equip teens so they are able to meet their own needs in the future. To do this we use an “I do, We do, You do” scaffolding model.
Ballroom dancing, yoga, inspirational movie nights, dinner at a restaurant, guest speakers, weekend coaching retreats, and so much more! When teens are exposed to new things, they see themselves and the world in a more colorful and enthusiastic way.
Grow Into You Foundation makes a point to network and bring awareness to the community around these teens so that they can be connected to resources and opportunities. These include but are not limited to: jobs, public assistance, health care, outreach ministries, social opportunities, educational resources, etc. We believe each teen needs a village built around them to support their growth and development as they near adulthood and independence.
Our Team
Grow Into You Foundation has a team of certified professional coaches, committed board members, and amazing volunteers!
Grow Into You Foundation cannot function without the support of our community. We are in need of monetary donations to continue to fund the coaching of foster teens. We are in need of volunteers to help run our outreach and fundraising events. We are in need of like-minded individuals who would like to mentor or coach teens. However you would like to get involved, we would like to welcome you! See below for more info!
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We are always looking for help - in the office, at events, and with our teens. Come join our team!
Will you help us stop the broken cycle of teens in the foster system? Will you help us show these kids that they are loved?